The Annual Review of Armed Conflicts 2022-23

The Perspectives on IR Summit 2023 aims to encompass an annual review of armed conflicts that occurred or have been significantly impacting the world, whether heard or unheard by international audiences. We aim to cover both types of armed conflicts defined by International Humanitarian Law, specifically:

a. International Armed Conflict

b. Non-international Armed Conflict

But what makes our event unique? We are a collective aiming to highlight the non-conventional dimensions of armed conflict like non-state actors, climate change, gendered violence, economic catastrophe, etc. With the sentiment of empowering youth to speak on foreign policy and international relations issues, this is a full-fledged event wherein we aim to bring in large-scale participation of the youth not just as audiences but as speakers as well.

Non-State Actors & Armed Conflict

There is a lack of legal consensus regarding how non-State violence is categorised, however, Non-State actor violence is variously linked to inter-State conflict, categorised as a conflict having an international character, as “extraterritorial law enforcement”, transnational armed conflict, or as non-international armed conflict. Non-state actors with regard to armed conflict refer to the existing constellation of terrorist, insurgent, guerrilla, extremist political or religious, resistance, and organised crime structural units (such as quasi-states, movements, organisations, parties, groups, even the empowered individuals), operating worldwide. It has been widely argued that the traditional interpretations of non-state actor armed conflict developed pre-9/11 are ill-suited to assess this form of contemporary violence.

Arms Trade & Armed Conflict

The poorly regulated global trade in conventional arms and ammunition fuels conflict, poverty and human rights abuses. The problems are compounded by the increasing globalisation of the arms trade – components being sourced from across the world, and production and assembly in different countries, sometimes with little control. Preventing the diversion and misuse of weapons goes hand-in-hand with maintaining peace, security and stability. The 2013 Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is a critical international agreement that regulates transfers of a large range of small arms and light weapons. More than 100 countries are parties to this treaty, which has had a significant impact on the international arms trade. In particular, the ATT bans states parties from allowing arms exports if there is a high chance the arms will be used to perpetrate serious human rights abuses. Nevertheless, arms are still exported regularly to most countries involved in armed conflicts, especially, when the judgement regarding whether a country is involved in an armed conflict is subjective and sovereign.

Climate Change & Armed Conflict

Despite the fact that international humanitarian law (IHL) protects the natural environment and includes safeguards to restrict the damage to it, its reach is frequently insufficient, and armed conflict remains one of the biggest drivers of environmental deterioration.

As the global climate crisis worsens, an increasing number of people are being forced to flee their homes due to natural disasters, droughts, and other weather events. These people are sometimes called “climate refugees”. Climate change can also serve as a 'threat multiplier' by exacerbating existing risks and creating new ones like food and water insecurity and competition over resources, which contribute to conflict and compound displacement.

Those who leave their countries in the context of climate change or disasters do not qualify for protection under international law. The 1951 Refugee Convention offers protection to those fleeing war and conflict who face persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

Human Security & Armed Conflict

Whereas the traditional goal of ‘national security’ was the defence of the state from external threats, the focus of human security is the protection of individuals. Human security and national security are often mutually reinforcing. However, individuals living in secure states are not necessarily secure themselves. The protection of the state from foreign attack is a necessary condition for its security, but not sufficient for human security. Since the two World Wars, the armed conflict has been a major and direct threat to many individuals worldwide, and thus is considered a feasible indicator of the state of human security. In this light, it is not just great power competition which needs traction, but rather the trafficking in human beings, protection of children in armed conflict, conflict-related sexual violence, protection of civilians, etc. should be the major cause of concern.

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